# US 10,765,143 B2 · Smoking article with reduced tobacco > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,765,143 B2 - Document ID: US10765143B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/704,629 - Filed: 2017-09-14 - Published: 2019-03-14 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-14 - Assignees: Altria Client Services LLC - Applicants: Altria Client Services LLC - Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra; Shaoyong Yu; Bernard S. Appleton; Weiling Li - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10765143B2 ## CPC - A24B 15/403: {having only oxygen as hetero atoms} - A24B 13/00: Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff (reconstituted tobacco products A24B3/14) - A24B 15/16: of tobacco substitutes - A24B 15/283: {by encapsulation of the chemical substances} - A24D 1/18: Selection of materials, other than tobacco, suitable for smoking - A24D 3/061: {containing additives entrapped within capsules, sponge-like material or the like, for further release upon smoking} - A24B: MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF - A24D: CIGARS; CIGARETTES; TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS; MOUTHPIECES OF CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; MANUFACTURE OF TOBACCO SMOKE FILTERS OR MOUTHPIECES ## Abstract An exemplary smoking article including a smoking rod filled with a combination including tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material. The tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material can be arranged such that the constituent material particles are generally distributed throughout the smoking rod, the tobacco filler material at least partially surrounds the cellulose filler material along a length of the smoking rod, and/or the cellulose filler material particles have a higher concentration along a central axis of the smoking rod than the tobacco filler material particles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A smoking article, comprising: a smoking rod filled with particles of tobacco filler material and particles of cellulose filler material, wherein the tobacco filler material at least partially surrounds the cellulose filler material along a length of the smoking rod and the cellulose filler material includes cut cellulose filter paper, shredded cellulose filter paper, or cut cellulose filter paper and shredded cellulose filter paper. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the tobacco filler material and the cellulose filler material are separately disposed in concentric areas along the length of the smoking rod. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cellulose filler material is impregnated with an additive. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the tobacco filler material or the cellulose filler material, or both, are impregnated with an additive. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The smoking article of claim 3, wherein the additive comprises a flavorant. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cellulose filler material includes at least one material of the following materials: cotton, and cotton-based material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cellulose filler material includes a cellulose material with an ash content that is less than or equal to 0.5% when burned. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cellulose filler material includes an acid-free or an unbleached cellulose material, or both. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the tobacco filler material includes a modified tobacco filler material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the tobacco filler material includes a blend of conventional tobacco filler material and modified tobacco filler material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising: a filter portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The smoking article of claim 11, wherein the filter portion includes a multi-plug arrangement. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The smoking article of claim 12, wherein the filter portion includes an additive releasably stored in a bead or a capsule, or both. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The smoking article of claim 11, further comprising: an interface between the filter portion and the smoking rod. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising: an interface connected to the smoking rod opposite a burn end of the smoking rod. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The smoking article of claim 15, wherein the interface includes an additive. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The smoking article of claim 14, wherein the interface includes an additive. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, wherein a ratio of tobacco filler material to cellulose filler material is in a range of 95:5 to 25:75. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1, wherein an amount of tobacco filler material in the smoking rod is less than an amount of cellulose filler material in the smoking rod. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The smoking article of claim 1 being formed as one of a cigarette, a cigar, or a cigarillo. ### Claim 21 A smoking article, comprising: a smoking rod filled with particles of tobacco filler material and particles of cellulose filler material, wherein at least some of the cellulose filler material is arranged in a higher temperature burn area of the smoking rod in relation to at least some of the tobacco filler material, and the cellulose filler material includes cut cellulose filter paper, shredded cellulose filter paper, or cut cellulose filter paper and shredded cellulose filter paper. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The smoking article of claim 21, wherein the tobacco filler material is arranged substantially along a periphery of an inner volume of the smoking rod. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The smoking article of claim 21, wherein the cellulose filler material is impregnated with an additive. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The smoking article of claim 21, wherein the cellulose filler material includes a cellulose material with an ash content that is less than or equal to 0.5% when burned. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The smoking article of claim 21, wherein the tobacco filler material and the cellulose filler material are separately disposed in concentric areas about a longitudinal axis of the smoking rod. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The smoking article of claim 21, wherein the tobacco filler material includes a modified tobacco material. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The smoking article of claim 21, wherein the cellulose filler material includes substantially acid-free or unbleached cellulose material, or both. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The smoking article of claim 21, further comprising: a filter portion. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The smoking article of claim 28, wherein the filter portion includes an additive releasably stored in a bead or capsule, or both. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The smoking article of claim 28, further comprising: an interface between the filter portion and the smoking rod. ### Claim 31 (depends on 21) The smoking article of claim 21, wherein a portion of the smoking rod is not filled with the filler material, creating an interface configured to store an additive. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The smoking article of claim 30, wherein the interface includes an additive. ### Claim 33 A smoking article, comprising: a filter portion; and a smoking rod including a blend of particles of tobacco filler material and particles of cellulose filler material, the blend containing a higher concentration of cellulose filler material than tobacco filler material in a central area along a length of the smoking rod, wherein the cellulose filler material includes cut cellulose filter paper, shredded cellulose filter paper, or cut cellulose filter paper and shredded cellulose filter paper. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) The smoking article of claim 33, wherein the cellulose filler material is impregnated with an additive. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The smoking article of claim 34, wherein the additive includes a flavorant. ### Claim 36 (depends on 33) The smoking article of claim 33, wherein the filter portion includes a plug-space arrangement. ### Claim 37 (depends on 33) The smoking article of claim 33, wherein the filter portion includes an additive releasably stored in a bead or a capsule, or both. ### Claim 38 (depends on 33) The smoking article of claim 33, wherein a ratio of tobacco filler material to cellulose filler material is in a range of 95:5 to 25:75. ### Claim 39 (depends on 33) The smoking article of claim 33, wherein an amount of tobacco filler material is no more than half a total amount of filler material in the blend. ### Claim 40 (depends on 33) The smoking article of claim 33, further comprising: an interface between the smoking rod and the filter portion. ### Claim 41 (depends on 33) The smoking article of claim 33, wherein the tobacco filler material includes conventional tobacco filler material, modified tobacco filler material, or both. ### Claim 42 (depends on 40) The smoking article of claim 40, wherein the interface includes an additive. ### Claim 43 A smoking article, comprising: a smoking rod including a filler comprising a mixture including particles of tobacco filler material and particles of cellulose filler material, wherein the tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material are distributed throughout the mixture along a length of the smoking rod, wherein the cellulose filler material includes cut cellulose filter paper, shredded cellulose filter paper, or cut cellulose filter paper and shredded cellulose filter paper. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The smoking article of claim 43, further comprising: an interface formed at a portion of the smoking rod that is not filled with the filler. ### Claim 45 (depends on 43) The smoking article of claim 43, further comprising an interface opposite a burn end of the smoking rod. ### Claim 46 (depends on 43) The smoking article of claim 43, further comprising: a filter portion. ### Claim 47 (depends on 46) The smoking article of claim 46, further comprising: an interface between the filter portion and the smoking rod. ### Claim 48 (depends on 47) The smoking article of claim 47, wherein the interface includes an additive. ### Claim 49 (depends on 43) The smoking article of claim 43, wherein the cellulose filler material includes an additive. ### Claim 50 (depends on 43) The smoking article of claim 43, wherein the tobacco filler material includes conventional tobacco filler material, modified tobacco filler material, or both. ### Claim 51 A smoking article, comprising: a smoking rod including a filler comprising a mixture including particles of modified tobacco filler material and particles of cellulose filler material, wherein the modified tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material are distributed throughout the mixture along a length of the smoking rod, wherein the cellulose filler material includes cut cellulose filter paper, shredded cellulose filter paper, or cut cellulose filter paper and shredded cellulose filter paper. ### Claim 52 (depends on 51) The smoking article according to claim 51, wherein the modified tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material are distributed throughout the mixture such that a higher concentration of cellulose filler material than tobacco filler material is disposed in a central area along a length of the smoking rod. ### Claim 53 (depends on 51) The smoking article according to claim 51, wherein the modified tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material are distributed throughout the mixture such that the modified tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material are randomly distributed throughout the mixture. ### Claim 54 (depends on 51) The smoking article according to claim 51, wherein the modified tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material are distributed throughout the mixture such that the modified tobacco filler material at least partially surrounds an area of the cellulose filler material. ### Claim 55 (depends on 51) The smoking article according to claim 51, wherein the modified tobacco filler material and the cellulose filler material are separately disposed in concentric areas along the length of the smoking rod. ### Claim 56 (depends on 51) The smoking article according to claim 51, wherein the cellulose filler material includes a cellulose material that includes at least one characteristic of the following characteristics: is acid-free, is unbleached, or has an ash content that is less than or equal to 0.5% when burned. ### Claim 57 A smoking article, comprising: a smoking rod including a filler comprising a mixture including particles of a tobacco filler material and particles of a second filler material, wherein the tobacco filler material and the second filler material are distributed throughout the mixture along a length of the smoking rod, wherein the second filler material solid rod of cellulose filler material includes cut cellulose filter paper, shredded cellulose filter paper, or cut cellulose filter paper and shredded cellulose filter paper. ### Claim 58 (depends on 57) The smoking article according to claim 57, wherein the second filler material has a lower nicotine content or lower nicotine delivery, or both, than the tobacco filler material.